Ms. Trazinski told Mr. Leverett that she remembered hearing reports of the crime. Trazinski's wife and co-pastor, Colette Trazinksi, called Leverett "a faithful member of the church. SIMSBURY, CT Two people are dead following a domestic violence shooting in Simsbury on Sunday night, according to police. Day and Wawrzyniak knew each other from attending Canton High School together, according to Day's mother, who lives in Canton. The crime went unsolved until last week, when a registered sex offender, William Leverett, walked into a church, Open Gate Ministries in Windsor Locks, and confessed. The former Windsor Locks man who rejected a plea bargain this week in the murder of a female jogger on a Simsbury Greenway path in 2014 won't . In the wake of a tragic murder-suicide in Simsbury last week, family and friends are mourning the loss of a young couple whose lives ended abruptly. Leverett also led police to a barn where he threw a bloody glove. Davis classified the incident as a domestic violence shooting. "I never knew their names, but it seemed like they were working. William. Retracing the path of controversial Project Veritas founder James O'Keefe includes many stops in Connecticut. 3. The manner of death for her husband, 59-year-old Bernard Halligan Jr., was ruled a suicide. A registered sex offender from Windsor Locks, CT - 27-year-old William Leverett is charged with murdering insurance executive Melissa Milan in Simsbury nearly 4 years ago. Jacobson wondered about the toddler's future. A text alert was later sent out and said that there was no longer an emergency. Friends and neighbors are grieving after a murder-suicide involving a couple in Simsbury. WILLIAM WINTERS LEVERETT was arrested in September 2018 and charged with murder in the November 2014 homicide of Melissa Millan in Simsbury. All rights reserved, High of 50 Thursday; Wintry Mix to Move in Friday Night, Plan for Canton Cannabis Dispensary Gets Approval, Avelo Says Airline Will Work to Improve Communication After NBC CT Responds Report, Hunter Accused of Killing 2 Pet Dogs in Ridgefield Appears in Court, Wintry Mix to Move in Friday Night, Snow and Sleet Accumulation Possible, Better Health: Dr. Katherine Rotker Discusses Vasectomy Procedure, NBC & Telemundo Connecticut Job Opportunities. According to the affidavit, he allegedly claimed he just wanted to speak to Millan but then "'something happened' and the next thing he knew he had stabbed her in the chest with a knife he was carrying," the documents said. Anyone can read what you share. 335. In October 2020, Leverett was offered a 35-year prison sentence and 10 years parole in a plea deal. 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Christopher Keating is a reporter for the Hartford Courant. On September 19, 2018, Leverett walked into police headquarters and confessed to the crime in order to "rid himself of demons." Sign up for the FOX61 newsletters:Morning Forecast, Morning Headlines, Evening Headlines. He then allegedly went back and got the knife a few days later and threw it out in a trash compactor. The Connecticut domestic violence hotline can be reached 24/7 at 888-774-2900, or 844-831-9200 for Spanish speakers. The Windsor Locks man charged with killing Simsbury mother Melissa Millan as she jogged down a busy trail in town in 2014 rejected a plea deal Tuesday that would have sent him to prison for 35 years. Little was said publicly about the killing in the years after Milans death, but police and town officials had once offered a $40,000 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the killer. At one point, officers advised residents in the neighborhood to remain inside their homes. Leverett said he heard Milan say: Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God, before she went quiet, records show. Milan pushed Leverett away, forcing the knife out of her chest as Leverett clutched the weapon. RELATED: EXCLUSIVE: Police tailed Simsbury cold case murder suspect after confession. William Leverette, a convicted sex offender, walked into Simsbury CT police department and confessed to killing Melissa Millan in 2014. He said he wiped the blood off the boots he wore that night and continued to wear them for several months before donating them to a Goodwill, the document said. Simsbury's last shooting fatality was in 2001, according to Boulter. Simsbury police are investigating a shooting on Woodleigh Place in Weatogue. The first Simsbury Police officer arrived at the apartment within 30 seconds of being dispatched. At their urging, Leverett went to the police department to turn himself in. CT 06045 Phone: 800-237-3606 Email: service@ . Since his arrest and subsequent conviction for the killing of Cynthia Mitchell 26 years ago, Mark Downey has been a model prisoner and turned his life around, his lawyers told a Hartford judge on Tuesday. Her son with Wawrzyniak is staying with Day's parents. ', Second winter storm could hit parts of CT Friday, National Weather Service says, 'Saturday Night Live' skit with Woody Harrelson takes place at Naval Submarine Base New London, Los Charros Cantina closes in Essex, will relocate to Branford, CT girls basketball top performers (Feb. 28), 5 CT companies hiring for 100 or more positions, CT DOT faces criticism following overnight tree-cutting: 'Who'd you notify before you went and cut it? Leverett allegedly told police he threw the knife out of his car window on a side street, the documents said. The man, William Winters Leverett, 27, of Windsor Locks, Conn., has been charged with murder. It was the nature of the injury and the nature of the weapon involved.. The telephone messages around 7:30 p.m. Sunday said that those in the area should please remain inside your residences and await further information.. William Leverett, a convicted sex offender, is accused of killing 54-year-old Melissa Millan in November 2014. Leverett pleaded. "Perhaps it was a misinterpretation and they meant his grandfather," Wawrzyniak told Simsbury Patch. Patty Snediker stands for a portrait outside of her sister's Simsbury home on Oct. 23, 2019. MURDER KILLER: William W. Leverett, now 30, formerly of Windsor Locks VICTIM: Melissa J. Millan, 54, of Simsbury, a senior vice president of MassMutual WHERE AND WHEN: Evening of Nov. 20, 2014. In December 1994, a Hartford Superior Court jury took a little more than two days to convict Downey, then 38, of murder in the death of Mitchell, who was 39, on March 29, 1992. It was clear this was not an accidental shooting, Alexander said. Then, last week, a man walked into his pastors home and confessed to the crime. Its not clear how that will impact his release date, which is now estimated to be February 2030. A Connecticut State Police crime lab truck pulled up about 11:25 p.m. on the walkway between her apartment and the one in which the couple was found, she said. Justice needed to be done.". Police have not yet provided an update in the investigation as of Tuesday. He said he had blacked out, and when he realized what happened called 911 immediately, Alexander said. William Leverett was accompanied by three . Leverett allegedly said he "'was angry' and that his 'anger escalated rapidly,'" and he was "acting beyond his control," the documents said. Officers received a call about a reported shooting at a. Its a very safe community, Davis said on Sunday. Then he confessed to us that he did it, she said in an interview on Wednesday. A major police presence descended on the neighborhood. These types of incidents can happen anywhere.. The arrest warrant detailed Leverett wrote confession letters the night of the murder. 00:02 04:00. Their relationship was not working out, and Beth was trying to move back home with us.". Court records showrf that Downeys blood-alcohol level was at least .15 percent, nearly twice than what is now considered legally drunk. After several days of conversations, Leverett was charged with her murder, police said. To request removal of your name from an arrest report, submit these required items to arrestreports@patch.com. William Winters Leverett, left, appeared in court on Monday during his arraignment for the 2014 killing of Melissa Millan in Simsbury, Conn. Leveretts confession to authorities came after he confided in a small group from his Windsor Locks church that he had slain the woman in 2014. The calls were made through the CT Alert system. Beth Day and Michael Wawrzyniak, who lived at the Meadows Apartments, 71 Hopmeadow St., were found by Simsbury Police, shot to death in their home Wednesday, Sept. 19 at 8:25 p.m., moments after a dispatcher heard gunshots during a 911 call from Day. Mr. Leverett is expected to appear in court on Oct. 9. Davis said responding officers found Linda Halligan and carried her to an ambulance and rushed to St. Francis Hospital, where she died. He is scheduled to be sentenced on May 3. Simon and DeCaprio argued that their client was too drunk at the time to realize the effect of his statements to police. Leverett told police he did not know Millan and had never seen her prior to the moment she jogged by him. He can be reached atdstewart@fox61.com. At the time of the crime, Simon said, Downey had a very serious alcohol problem, and to my mind thats why this crime happened.. Yes, I do, your honor, Leverett responded. Simsbury couple died in murder-suicide, medical examiner rules, 2023 Hearst Media Services Connecticut, LLC, Warrant: Bridgeport man broke into occupied Norwalk homes, Records: Survivor of crash that killed CT cop sues strip club, NWS: Storm will bring mix of rain, snow and ice to CT, Branford's Darbar India says 'thank you' with grand reopening, 'Suspicious' object sparks bomb scare at CT College, police say, Former East Haven town clerk suing over deleted email allegations, Westport, New Canaan join Fairfield's regional dispatch center, Wilton braces for cuts to $33.6M plan amid revenue uncertainty, Darien selectmen raise limit on cash gifts to $12,500, New Milford schools launch anonymous tip line for safety concerns, Geno Auriemma gives bleak assessment as UConn womens basketball looks to find footing in March: 'Poorly coached team. We want to hear from you! Elizabeth, or "Beth" as she was known by those close to her, is remembered as a loving mother of her 14-month-old son Dominik, a talented student, and a valued employee at Ocean State Job Lot where she worked for six years, according to her obituary. And he always seemed so happy.". Millan was a 54-year-old mother of two, and an insurance executive. The two public defenders who represented Downey at his trial before Judge Stuart Schimelman were at his side again Tuesday, a bit grayer, but no less committed to standing up for their client. Wawrzyniak is survived by his son Dominik, his parents, Jerry and Mary Wawrzyniak, his sister, Bernadette Wawrzyniak and two brothers, Nicholas and Erik Wawrzyniak. "I was sitting in my living room, watching baseball on television, when I heard the voices," she said. They were a young couple with a little boy. She also leaves her grandfather, Buddy Day of Canton and Tina and Sal Difabio of New Hartford. "She will be forever loved and missed," the obituary said. Leverett told police that the day of the murder he was at a sex offender's therapy group in Hartford, according to the arrest warrant affidavit. Sign up for free Patch newsletters and alerts. But forensic evidence showed that the bullet entered Mitchells body on a downward trajectory, through the shoulder, tearing her heart and lungs. SIMSBURY -- A young Simsbury couple died Wednesday evening, the apparent victims of a murder-suicide. Simsbury double fatal shooting ruled a murder-suicide 00:00 00:00 An unknown error has occurred The Connecticut Office of the Chief Medical Examiner ruled Linda Halligan's death a homicide from. Last week, investigators found Mr. Leveretts handwritten letters from 2014 which referred to a serious crime, but not a murder specifically and the glove in the barn, which was entered as evidence, the authorities said. M. Fred Decaprio and Ken Simon first thanked prosecutor Vicki Melchiorre for agreeing to consider their request for a sentence modification, then made their argument to Baldini. Leverett was on probation after a conviction of child sex assault in Colorado in 2011. Although he left the police station that night, police said they monitored Leverett from the time he initially confessed until his arrest on September 23. He appeared before Superior Court Judge Shelia M. Prats via a video link from the MacDougall-Walker Correctional Institution in Suffield. RELATED: Fatal double shooting in Simsbury ruled a murder-suicide In a press briefing just after 8:30 p.m., Boisvert said Faison and Underwood seemed to have died of gunshot wounds. Downey testified that he could not remember what happened the night of the shooting, Alexander said. SIMSBURY The deaths of a husband and wife on Sunday have been ruled a murder-suicide, officials said. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. And more importantly, should tuition go toward supporting bars around the XL Center? He was arraigned Monday, but the results were not clear. Beth Day and Michael Wawrzyniak, who lived at the Meadows Apartments, 71 Hopmeadow St . He is being held with bail set at $2 million. RELATED: Suspect in 2014 Simsbury murder pleads not guilty. I was just going with the flow, Downey said during a hearing to suppress his statements. Simsbury police are investigating a shooting on Woodleigh Place in Weatogue. He is remembered as a caring and compassionate person who loved the outdoors and spending time with his friends and family, according to his obituary. According to a police affidavit, he told the authorities that he had spotted the woman while she was jogging and was attracted to her, but went into a frenzy as he approached her, and then stabbed her. CT considers exonerating people convicted of witchcraft in 1600s, Connecticut could soon have a state food, pet and candy, CT-based company discloses potential foreign bribery violations. "Above all he cherished spending time with his beloved son Dominik, who was the joy of his life," Michael Wawrzyniak's obituary said. The man accused of fatally stabbing an insurance company executive while she was running on a trail in Simsbury pleaded guilty to murder on Tuesday. He did not know her but was attracted to her physical features and decided to park his car and approach her, the affidavit said. HARTFORD, Conn. A man charged with the 2014 murder of a Simsbury mother has pleaded guilty, court documents show. Downey, 61, has worked in a variety of jobs, taken advantage of every program the correction system offers, is remorseful, and has remained sober despite the availability of drugs and other substances in prison, his lawyers told Hartford Superior Court Judge Laura F. Baldini. 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